Read Online An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes by Randy Ribay - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Randy Ribay
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asked, “Why does the Dungeon Master have to be a
he
?”
Dante shrugged. “He doesn’t.”
“So why do you keep saying
he
?”
Dante shrugged again.
“If you can do almost anything, how do you ever know what to do?”
“Archie says you we just figure it out together.”
“What’s to stop someone from just going off on her own and making stupid decisions?” Mari asked.
“Nothing, I guess.”
“And there’s no screen or board or anything?”
“Not really.” Dante turned the paper over and folded it again.
“So, like, the game happens in your imagination? Like a video game without a console?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s weird.”
Dante’s face reddened. He finished folding the plane and quietly said, “I guess.”
“Good weird, though.” Mari looked down at her notebook. “Maybe I could be the person who makes up the stories. The Dungeon Lord.”
“Dungeon Master.”
“Whatever.”
Dante smiled at Mari, held out the plane for her to take. “I’ll check with Archie, Sam, and Sarah.”
“What are they like?” Mari asked, taking the plane and turning it over to examine its structural integrity. She was impressed by the precision of the folds.
“Archie’s really smart and funny. You’ll love him. Sam can be kind of quiet, but he’s cool. Sarah is pretty nice.”
“Well, I’ll start making up some stories with swords and stuff. But if this turns out to be lame, I’m not going to keep doing it.”
“Okay,” Dante said. “Maybe Archie can give you the rule book today and we can start playing next week.”
“What? He just, like, carries it around with him?”
“Yeah.”
Mari put away her story notebook and made a mental note to read a few fantasy novels soon. She handed the plane back to Dante and turned her attention to the science worksheet. She wrote their names on it, and then told Dante, “You’re clear for takeoff.”
Dante tossed the plane like a dart and it swooped left, smashed into the side of a table, and fell to the floor. “Oops,” he said as he picked it up and tried to straighten its crumpled nose. “I hate my hands. They’re too big.”
A thunderclap shakes the world, interrupting Mari’s memory. She considers the rain, considers how much she will tell Dante.
She counts to three in her head and then in a fluid motion pulls the door handle, pops open her umbrella, steps into the rain, and slams the door shut.
The sound of the falling water magnifies. More thunder rumbles in the distance. She steps quickly through the shallow lake that the parking lot has become, her umbrella insufficient.
She walks in and approaches a Hispanic kid at the counter whose arms are covered in tattoos.
“Hi,” she says.
“S’up, Mami?” he says.
“Can I speak with Dante, please?”
“He’s not here,” the kid says. “But you can speak with me.” He winks.
Mari ignores it. “I thought he works Thursdays?”
“He took off.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
He shrugs.
She sighs. “Well, thanks, anyways.”
She pulls her hood back up. Opens her umbrella. Takes a deep breath and plunges back into the rain alone, feeling like a diver dropping into the ocean.
• • •
When Mari looks up, she’s surprised by stars. There are so many it makes her dizzy. They fill the black sky, clusters of light denser in some areas than others, but all shining through the eons to reach her. Most are pinpricks of white, but some blink a pale blue or orange. Behind them, the magnificent swath of the galaxy’s cloudy center stretches across the heavens like some cosmic gash. Underlining it all, the silhouette of a tree line spans the horizon, backlit by some unseen city.
“It’s beautiful,” Mari says as if she were in some cathedral.
Archie puts his arm around Mari and pulls her closer. “I know.”
She rests her head on his chest and takes his hand in hers. She holds it as if it were a bird that might fly away.
A chilly breeze blows over their hill,
he
?”
Dante shrugged. “He doesn’t.”
“So why do you keep saying
he
?”
Dante shrugged again.
“If you can do almost anything, how do you ever know what to do?”
“Archie says you we just figure it out together.”
“What’s to stop someone from just going off on her own and making stupid decisions?” Mari asked.
“Nothing, I guess.”
“And there’s no screen or board or anything?”
“Not really.” Dante turned the paper over and folded it again.
“So, like, the game happens in your imagination? Like a video game without a console?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s weird.”
Dante’s face reddened. He finished folding the plane and quietly said, “I guess.”
“Good weird, though.” Mari looked down at her notebook. “Maybe I could be the person who makes up the stories. The Dungeon Lord.”
“Dungeon Master.”
“Whatever.”
Dante smiled at Mari, held out the plane for her to take. “I’ll check with Archie, Sam, and Sarah.”
“What are they like?” Mari asked, taking the plane and turning it over to examine its structural integrity. She was impressed by the precision of the folds.
“Archie’s really smart and funny. You’ll love him. Sam can be kind of quiet, but he’s cool. Sarah is pretty nice.”
“Well, I’ll start making up some stories with swords and stuff. But if this turns out to be lame, I’m not going to keep doing it.”
“Okay,” Dante said. “Maybe Archie can give you the rule book today and we can start playing next week.”
“What? He just, like, carries it around with him?”
“Yeah.”
Mari put away her story notebook and made a mental note to read a few fantasy novels soon. She handed the plane back to Dante and turned her attention to the science worksheet. She wrote their names on it, and then told Dante, “You’re clear for takeoff.”
Dante tossed the plane like a dart and it swooped left, smashed into the side of a table, and fell to the floor. “Oops,” he said as he picked it up and tried to straighten its crumpled nose. “I hate my hands. They’re too big.”
A thunderclap shakes the world, interrupting Mari’s memory. She considers the rain, considers how much she will tell Dante.
She counts to three in her head and then in a fluid motion pulls the door handle, pops open her umbrella, steps into the rain, and slams the door shut.
The sound of the falling water magnifies. More thunder rumbles in the distance. She steps quickly through the shallow lake that the parking lot has become, her umbrella insufficient.
She walks in and approaches a Hispanic kid at the counter whose arms are covered in tattoos.
“Hi,” she says.
“S’up, Mami?” he says.
“Can I speak with Dante, please?”
“He’s not here,” the kid says. “But you can speak with me.” He winks.
Mari ignores it. “I thought he works Thursdays?”
“He took off.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
He shrugs.
She sighs. “Well, thanks, anyways.”
She pulls her hood back up. Opens her umbrella. Takes a deep breath and plunges back into the rain alone, feeling like a diver dropping into the ocean.
• • •
When Mari looks up, she’s surprised by stars. There are so many it makes her dizzy. They fill the black sky, clusters of light denser in some areas than others, but all shining through the eons to reach her. Most are pinpricks of white, but some blink a pale blue or orange. Behind them, the magnificent swath of the galaxy’s cloudy center stretches across the heavens like some cosmic gash. Underlining it all, the silhouette of a tree line spans the horizon, backlit by some unseen city.
“It’s beautiful,” Mari says as if she were in some cathedral.
Archie puts his arm around Mari and pulls her closer. “I know.”
She rests her head on his chest and takes his hand in hers. She holds it as if it were a bird that might fly away.
A chilly breeze blows over their hill,
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